The eatery is located at 14 Cha Ca Street in the old quarter, and has been there since its opening in 1871.
In 2003, MSNBC (now MS NOW) included the restaurant in its list of “10 places to see before you die.”
According to the owners, their family created the dish in 1871 and passed down the recipe to the following generations.
Le Thi Bich Loc, the current owner, said her husband’s great-grandmother was once with De Tham’s insurgent forces during the anti-French resistance.
The family home served as a secret meeting place for them, and she was initially serving them raw fish salad before switching to grilled fish for better hygiene.
Later the family opened the restaurant.
The name “La Vong” refers to Jiang Ziya, the 11th century BCE strategist known for being famously depicted fishing with a straight barbless hook while waiting for the right moment to serve a worthy ruler.